The Battle of Cheneux - Battle of the Bulge 1944

Cheneux was the scene of heavy combat between members of the 82nd Airborne Division and elements of Kampfgruppe Peiper. The Americans attacked the village in the evening of the 20th of December 1944. It wasn’t until the next day that the village was captured. It saw some of the most heavy and desperate fighting of the Battle of the Bulge. Find out more in this video!
INFORMATION
Haasler, T., Vosters, S., Macdougall, R., & Weber, H. (2014). Duel in the Mist 2. Old Heathfield, Great-Britain: Panzerwrecks.
Bruning, J. R. (z.d.). Cheneux -. The American Warrior. Geraadpleegd op 27 februari 2021, van theamericanwarrior.com/tag/ch...
Rogister, H. (z.d.). The Bulge and the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Battle of the Bulge Memories. Geraadpleegd op 27 februari 2021, van www.battleofthebulgememories.b...
FOOTAGE
My own maps
The Enemy Strikes 1945 US ARMY WWII BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Battle of Stoumont 1944
MUSIC
All music is from the KZbin audio library: kzbin.info...
Dark Forest
Chasing Time
Breathing Planet

[@Dog.soldier1950]

Artillery or even mortars, played almost no role in this battle, which lead to high American casualties. A classic infantry on infantry attack with little support or indirect fire. Such bravery and small unit leadership

[@edgarstephens2048]

Thank you. My father, PFC Edgar Stephens, was in Company B. A flak wagon gave him a head wound, breaking all the fused bones in his scull apart. He had a continuous headache until he died in 1971.

[@angelinatedesco7980]

Wow! Such a great detailed video and I’m so happy to hear my great grandfather, Daniel Del Grippo, mentioned. It’s an honor my family takes great pride in. He was with the 1st battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division. He did knock out the machine gun and 20-mm killing one German and capturing the other. That night in another attack, he saw an enemy self-propelled gun firing on his comrades. Although wounded, he ran toward the vehicle firing his submachine gun, and killed the four man enemy crew. He also won 2 Purple Hearts for his role in DDay. Such an act of bravery!!!

[@arthurcrime]

Oh wow, what a great description of a harrowing battle, the part where the soldier did not have the strength to pull the grenade pin, was brilliantly related. Really well done Ace.

[@sevenonthelineproductionsl7524]

The 504th PIR was the regiment that executed the Waal crossing at Nijmegen during Operation Market-Garden.

[@joeblow4499]

Tuckers Regiment was boss

[@redaug4212]

Yep, the 504th's story is really something else, even by airborne standards. Sad to see that some people in this comment section don't believe they fought as superbly as they did against the SS.

[@sevenonthelineproductionsl7524]

@@redaug4212 truly

[@ColinH1973]

Excellent graphics, together with the 'then and now' footage really adds to the the clarity of another first class presentation. Well done and thank you Ace!

[@shouryajitbhattacharya2900]

A battle mostly overshadowed by the Bastogne or the St. Vith battles... Good to see someone shed a light on it... When it comes to the 82nd Airborne's role in the Bulge, it's a little overlooked

[@your_royal_highness]

Agreed. There were many units involved. I just started reading No Time for Trumpets, No Silent Night and Alamo in the Ardennes (yes, I am a little compulsive). I will admit I am a bit of a 101 fanboy. The best books on front line fighting I have read were the four book series by Don Burgett. Really amazing stuff. I did hit La Fiere bridge in Normandy where the 82nd did some unreal and successful fighting.

[@shouryajitbhattacharya2900]

@@your_royal_highness No Time for Trumpets is a brilliant book, and i need to visit those sites of battles in Europe, must've been unreal being in such an eventful place

[@angelinatedesco7980]

So cool! My great grandfather won a Dsc for this battle. He was in the 82nd ad 504 pir

[@bradyelich2745]

Another well made video, Ace.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thank you very much!

[@Farscape3585]

Outstanding presentation as always...hopefully you are planning to cover my father’s and the 551st Battalion last battle - Battle of Rochelinval on January 7th 1945. 🤞

[@davidarmstrong7549]

Another great video Ace Destroyer! Perhaps you could do a video about the very farthest advance of Kampfgruppe Peiper at stoumont railway station where the lead Panthers met their fate. I'm sure you would do a fabulous job of it.

[@Zajuts149]

I love these detailed videos of the small battles around the Ardennes Offensive. I play the boardgame Advanced Squad Leader, and the historical modules Kampfgruppe Peiper I + II cover the battles of Stoumont, Cheneux and La Gleize. I never played them, because I never really knew much about the battles, and had no inspiration to get into them. These videos are a great primer.

[@Edelweiss482]

yo, this is one of the battles featured in Battlefront: Final Blitzkrieg. I recognize it by the map.

[@ForrestMurphy-np4qj]

I just read the book “ Those devils in baggy pants” by Ross S. Carter, who was in this battle with the 504th parachute infantry; 1st battalion, C company that is mentioned in this narrative. Great book!

[@oldesertguy9616]

I really like how concise, yet detailed your videos are. They impart a lot of information in a short time frame.

[@simonrooney7942]

Well told,Ace. They paid for that town!

[@Osterreich3]

Thank you again for your meticulous research and clear presentation Ace.

[@carius007]

Great work once again Ace! Your attention to detail is truly exceptional, thank you for sharing. These brave soldiers will live on thru these videos. I’m going to go crack a beer or 7 now, cheers 🍻🇨🇦

[@carius007]

BTW I think you’re missing a few digits on your sub numbers!

[@your_royal_highness]

I only had four days this month to see the Bulge area. It was not until after I went through this area that I realized La Gleize was where Peiper made his escape and that Stavelot and Stoumont had some significant tank battles. Oh well. I made it to the site where the German campaign started near Hollerath, Lanzerath, Malmedy and whole bunch of spots around and in Bastogne. The La Gleize museum is very good and the 101st museum in Bastogne is the better museum in that town. In fact, that whole block made it through unscathed and two guides had pics of Hitler meeting with his generals. It was startling to say the least to the see the then and now pics.

[@kiowhatta1]

Nice to see you back Ace - have missed your videos. Thanks for this one. Prost.

[@justinreilly6619]

Excellent post as always! Great graphics and moving imagery.

[@stephenhunt2806]

Excellent account of the battle, especially the close quarter nature of the fighting. Thanks also for the references. Keep up the good work!

[@frederickvondinkerberg7721]

Thank you good sir... cracking content as always

[@joeblow4499]

Excellent. Best researched account I've listened to. Question, was there any post war interviews that researched the German reaction to American resistance?

[@-jk-2580]

Another great video and magnificent present day views!

[@only5186]

Excellent video sir! Please keep doing these.

[@basfinnis]

Great detailed information. Thanks

[@RickJZ1973]

Excellent presentation! I really enjoyed it.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! I'm very pleased to hear that!

[@jasonharryphotog]

Really enjoyed this one Cheers

[@casparcoaster1936]

Superb. Give us more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What I meant was, "thank you very much, thank you very much, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, thank you very very very much! lyrics from "Mary Poppins" (sung by Dick Van Dyke)

[@joeblow4499]

Another fantastic WW2 blow by blow account. Well done Ace!

[@russelder9743]

That was excellent...you really are a pro . Thank you sir

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! I'm very happy to see that you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!

[@JohnWoolrich-ii6bl]

A proper good page n showing maps aswell 100per cent qualatey

[@thurbine2411]

Great video as usual. It would be nice if you would do a video about the movement and actions of a Kampfgeschwader during a few days of one of the bigger German offensives on the eastern front?

[@mitchring7033]

Regarder les émissions télé faite en 1984 sur la RTB Belge , celà s'intitulait décembre 44 /84 , des vétérans Américains parlait de ces combat ,James Holmstock décrivait les combats de cheneux , les prés couvert de sang , 90 % de perte.

[@Grandmenil]

The picture you using as a still is not taken in Cheneux, but in Bra-sur-Lienne. It is also not Walter Hughes.

[@abhilashyadav2274]

good video as always.

[@StevenRecknagelMusic]

These are some of my favorite videos, expensive casualties while fighting SS, the 2nd saw extensive combat in the east, which was a true meat grinder, many of these guys had probably seen the worst imaginable beforehand. Not downplaying the war in the west but by some means was more tame

[@novakmatic]

Hungry for more :) great job :P kamerad

[@franceleeparis37]

Amazing heroics.... just shows the true nature of close range fighting... bravery beyond the call of duty... the Germans fought bitterly because the SS were conditioned from the start to never surrender ... but they were too brainwashed to realise that the war was effectively over when they had no fuel for their tanks... it’s was like being a knight without a horse... it could only end one way...

[@juanpablorossicabrales9176]

Well done Ace Destroyer.

[@casparcoaster1936]

Where was 504's 75mm pack howitzers. (In a video game) that's what I 'd be looking for.

[@zillsburyy1]

the Americans kept blowing the bridges as the SS got close :-)

[@safety86]

Do you have any information on Lt. Howard Kemble that was killed at Cheneux?

[@debmccue2669]

My cousin, Bill Walsh, is the staff sergeant mentioned. He won the Distinguished Service Cross for extreme gallantry, not for long service. You are mistaken. It is a valorous award. Do your research.

[@davidfraley746]

Quite right… cousin Ross S Carter talks about him in his book, Those Devils In Baggy Pants….”I’ll go with you, Knobby.”

[@henkstersmacro-world]

👍👍👍

[@redskyatnight123]

Greatstuff

[@ThomasSchick]

Ausgezeichnet...

[@CalebNorthNorman]

What happened to all these villages damaged by shelling and air strikes after the war? they are rebuilt but who had to pay for the Damages? Did they have insurance or did the government help pay? or was it up to the individual?

[@oldesertguy9616]

The Belgian government was taken over by the Nazis, and I doubt any insurance agency would cover war damage, if any agencies even survived the occupation. The US government gave Europe a lot of aid, as did some of the other Allies, as their own economies were in ruins.

[@CalebNorthNorman]

@@oldesertguy9616 okay it would be really interesting to find out that information as far as how did people rebuild Europe and who paid for it. Was there "war compensation" ?

[@laurenth7187]

What does it mean if you are wounded by a 20 mm flak gun, i just wonder....

[@destroyer0685]

I am going to be critical here but Tucker and his staff should be criticized for not attacking on all fronts with the main effort thru Monceau with the objective of the bridge thus cutting off Cheneaux. Instead the regimental main effort was over open ground which caused a lot of casualties.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

Why a Para Division was called to fill in I dont know . The only thing I could think of was the huge losses the Yanks suffered in wasting their time in Hurtgen Forest . Which was why Hitler found a weak point in the flank to attack . Pity so may troops suffered in all these mince meat actions

[@thewhiteknightman]

Because the Airborne Divisions were kept in SHAEF strategic reserve at the time, so they were one of the few uncommitted combat divisions in the whole of ETO. And if the Hürtgen is all you could think of in this moment, I feel you're not making the right takeaway. The 101st and 82nd made crucial contributions that stopped the Germans short of crossing the Meuse towards Antwerp and eventually reversed all of their gains. Whatever their comrades in the 28th and 4th Infantry Divisions suffered in the Hürtgen they avenged on the German attackers that winter sevenfold. The Bulge turned from a disaster into the US Army's finest moment.

[@ddraig1957]

Unbelievable bravery by the American paratroopers. Didn't they also have to contend with deep snow ?

[@TheAceDestroyer]

No, the snow only arrived at La Gleize a few days after the battle for Cheneux had ended.

[@ddraig1957]

@@TheAceDestroyer Thank you for your reply. I always associate the Battle of the Bulge with snow and ice,but of course before it started snowing ,it was fog and cloud that caused the American forces so many problems.

[@jandewilde9738]

1

[@RonaldReaganRocks1]

AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!

[@Peipzz]

2:20 notice how both sides order civilians to evacuate ? not like in the american movies, where the ss would randomly start killing kids lol..

[@Alderak1]

What American movies show SS killing kids?

[@Alderak1]

Free Man Name one. I can’t think of one movie that shows what you’re saying. In “Enemy at the Gates” a German kills a kid but he’s not SS.

[@redaug4212]

Let's be real. The SS did have a tendency to shoot civilians though (i.e Stavelot massacre).

[@Peipzz]

@@redaug4212 ​ @RedAUG and in most of the cases it was armed civilians (partisans) who launched ambushes on them ( war crime and against geneva convention) . punishment would follow.

[@redaug4212]

@@Peipzz No, it wasn't. In most cases the SS had no evidence of partisan allegiance among civilians, and would indiscriminately kill large groups of women, children, and the elderly. As was the case at Stavelot, as was the case at Oradour-sur-Glane, as was the case at Marzabotto, etcetera. Stop trying to justify Germany's war crimes.

[@soldieramerican5964]

FYI: The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is for long service, not Courage, Bravery, or Crazy Actions in Combat. The Silver/Bronze Star & Medal Of Honor are for what these Para Soldiers did. To give you an example of how fucked the DSC is, my PL in Iraq received a Bronze Star, Combat V, for simply being in the Convoy when another vehicle was hit by an IED. Yea! What a joke..

[@only5186]

Thats a disgrace but like everything now days integrity honor and truth are lost smh

[@oldesertguy9616]

The Distinguished Service Cross is for bravery and is second only to the Medal Of Honor. I don't know what army you were in.

[@ardenneslingshot4248]

As if you were there

[@ClaudeMCAUWE]

I am quite sorry to be the bad guy here, but this is to my opinion, the worse Ace’s video I have seen. Most of the historic footage is not from Cheneux. The description of the battle may be accurate according to US reports, but does not match evidences found in the soil of Cheneux (and described by the elder inhabitants). I agree that the Cheneux Battle was not well documented (as all battles in which the US was slaughtered). But that call calls for field research. And field research proves that the reports were « fixed ».

[@redaug4212]

What kind of field research are you talking about? And what do you mean reports were fixed?

[@ClaudeMCAUWE]

@@redaug4212 Field research with metal detectors - on the field. Many places that are a lot talked about do not contain any evidence. While other locations, indicated by inhabitants, contain lots of evidence of battle. Reports were « fixed » because the US could not admit tactical mistakes - or command errors. What do you think of a colonel, having sold thousands of books, who confused North and South in his attack ? Reports were written after the battle. Battle won and paid for by humble soldiers.

[@redaug4212]

@@ClaudeMCAUWE Are their any research papers or documented evidence to back up your claims? Veteran interviews of this battle from individual soldiers certainly do not indicate that it was a one-sided fiasco. Moreover, if there is no physical evidence found on the site, then wouldn't that mean there wasn't much fighting at Cheneux at all?

[@ClaudeMCAUWE]

@@redaug4212 i don’t understand your question. The point is not to doubt the severity of the fight in Cheneux or the number of casualties, but the places where it happened, and how. It is already surprising that many so-called « historians » confuse Cheneux and La Gleize, where the Kampfgruppe abandoned its vehicles. I have read many times that more than 100 German vehicles were left behind in Cheneux. Those who have been on site know that the town is not big enough to accommodate so many !

[@redaug4212]

@@ClaudeMCAUWE I guess I don't understand your argument then. You're saying the US fixed reports because of tactical mistakes. What tactical mistakes are you saying were made? What places are you referring to when you say that many places contain no evidence?